IMPHAL, June 21: Security forces arrested a member of the NSCN (Niki Sumi) faction in Manipur’s Jiribam district on Wednesday for his alleged involvement in a series of kidnappings and extortion activities along National Highway-37. The accused has been identified as 46-year-old Gaisinglung Meiringmei alias Ronald, son of Digongthu Meiringmei from Mukti Samjang village under Nungba police station in Noney district.
According to a police statement, the arrest took place at around 4:40 pm on Thursday following “a dramatic pursuit across the Jiri River.” Acting on specific intelligence inputs about armed militant presence in Kamranga area, a joint team comprising Jiribam district police and 38 Assam Rifles launched a meticulously coordinated operation.
The operation commenced around 4:00 pm near Hill Cross English School in Kamranga. Surveillance teams confirmed the suspect’s presence before launching the raid. Upon spotting the security forces, the suspect attempted to flee towards the Jiri River and jumped into the water in a desperate bid to escape across the border into Assam’s Cachar district.
A dramatic pursuit followed — with some personnel swimming and others deploying a nearby boat — ultimately leading to his successful apprehension mid-river, officials confirmed.
During preliminary interrogation, Meiringmei reportedly confessed to being an active member of the NSCN (Niki Sumi) faction. He admitted that he was present in Kamranga to extort money from the local public on behalf of the banned outfit. He also claimed to have been involved in multiple kidnapping and extortion incidents that had recently occurred along the NH-37 corridor.
Following his capture, the individual was handed over to the Jiribam police station for further legal action and investigation.
